


What we are pt 8

by AXEe



Series: What we are [8]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-19 15:22:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9447356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: Are you strong enough to stand? Protecting both your heart and mine?  AU of "Myriad"/"Better Angels"





	1. Legion

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Welcome to Chapter One of Part Eight of What we are (yay), I hope you all enjoy this one. And now, ONWARD!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And is it worth the wait  
All this killing time?  
Are you strong enough to stand?  
Protecting both your heart and mine

\--Florence + the Machine: “Heavy in Your Arms”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

I don’t know how long I was stuck in that cell watching what looked like the entire DEO pass by the still open doors to my cell. Finally, about fifteen minutes after Lucy had left, Lucy herself walked in. Without a word, she turned and opened my cell and then walked out, clearly expecting me to follow her. Still worried I slipped out of the cell, finding a group of agents, including Vasquez, waiting outside

“Lucy, what is going on?” I demanded, Lucy tilted her head at me, studying me like a dog

“Myriad has begun on Earth,” she announced in a flat voice “Faora calls you to her legions,” I kept my face blank as I nodded. Apparently convinced I was just another mindless drone, she turned and marched towards Command, the rest of us following her “the DEO is secure,” Lucy announced as we stopped in front of monitors “what are you orders?” the woman on the monitors matched both Kara’s description of Faora as well as the sketches I’d seen Astra do. She was blonde, a little older than Astra and was actually kind of a plain Jane, not the kind of person you’d think would be plotting to take over the world. Of course neither is Astra.

“ _Release the prisoners,_ ” she ordered “ _all but the White Martian,_ ” she added, she frowned “ _for everyone’s sake, leave that one be_ ” Lucy nodded, her movement’s stiff and almost robotic

“It is done” she nodded at Vasquez who tapped in the commands into the computer. Almost as soon as she did an alarm started to ring, the monitors filling with various little boxes warning of what was happening

“ _Warning, containment override activated. Cell power dampeners will deactivate in two minutes_ ” the computer announced as Kryptonian symbols started scrolling down the screens. I saw my opening and promptly hit both Lucy and Susan each in the back of the neck. Susan recovered first, spinning on her heel and delivering one _hell_ of a roundhouse kick to my midsection, following it up with a punch to my face, sending my sprawling to the ground. She stood over me, drawing back her leg, ready to just stomp on my head

“Hey!” there was a sudden gust of ice-cold wind, which knocked Susan aside “Alex!” I sat up, wincing as Kara rushed over “are you OK?” she asked as she helped me to my feet

“I’m good, I’m good,” I groaned, there was sudden bang and a bright bolt of green whizzed past us, Kara yelled as one of the kryptonite bullets struck her in the arm “go! Go!” I ordered, shoving her towards cover as Lucy and Susan opened fire in perfect synch “come on, Lucy!” I yelled as we ducked down behind a pair of heavy supply crates next to Kara’s pod, bullets still flying towards us “you can fight this!”

“ _Warning, prisoner release in fifteen seconds_ ” the computer announced as Lucy and Susan calmly reloaded. I frantically looked around for a weapon

“Your pod” I realized

“What?” Kara stared at me

“Just move it!” I ordered, reaching inside the cockpit, ducking more gunfire “point the engines at them!”

“Got it!” Kara rammed her shoulder against the pod, slowly turning it to face Lucy and Susan, once she did that I reached for the controls, activating the engines

“Cover your ears!” I ordered, there was a teeth-rattling _boom_ as the engines fired, the shockwave knocking Lucy and Susan off their feet “come on!” I sprinted to the controls

“ _Warning, prisoner release in ten seconds,_ ” the computer reported as I started franticly typing “ _nine…eight…access granted, recognized, Agent Danvers, Alex, prisoner release canceled_ ” I breathed a sigh of relief as the alarms stopped ringing

“Kara, are you OK?” I asked, she winced and cradled her arm

“No”

“Come on, let’s get that bullet out of you” I said as I led her over to my lab

“I don’t get it,” she sighed as I sat her down on a bench “what is going on?”

“Myriad” I answered, Kara froze

“Wait, so, this, _this_ is Myriad?” she asked, I nodded as I grabbed a sterile pair of forceps

“Looks like,” I swabbed her arm with alcohol “hold still, this is going to hurt,” she winced and hissed as I gently dug the bullet out of her arm “sorry” I whispered as she gasped and panted for breath as I finally got the little bugger out, the wound sealing up instantly

“Hang on,” she said, rubbing at her arm “if this is Myriad, then how come you’re not affected?” I shrugged

“I don’t know, my guess is it has something to do with the version that Henshaw used on me, that it made me immure to Myriad’s effects”

“Astra would know” she muttered, I nodded

“I know”

“Do you think she knows what’s going on?” Kara wondered, her voice small, I shrugged

“I don’t know,” I admitted “we don’t even know where she is, she could be halfway across the world by now”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

**Thirty miles outside Midvale**

I frowned as the bus slowed to a stop, the other passengers—those who were still awake at this late hour—looked around in confusion and worry as a law enforcement officer stepped onboard

“Please remained seated,” she called out “this is a search, we’re looking for two fugitives, wanted in connections with some very serious crimes,” she held up a tablet computer, the image displayed was mine and J’onn’s DEO identity photographs “if you have any information on the whereabouts of these two people please say so,” she added as she slowly made her way down the aisle. I stiffened, quietly reaching into my bag and loading the handgun inside, although I was loathe to use it, I could only hope that the clothes and blonde wig I was wearing could sufficiently hide my identity.

The officer slowly walked to the rear of the bus, carefully scrutinizing the passengers as she passed them, she then turned around and headed back towards the front of the bus, repeating her efforts. As she passed me I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the window, fanning sleep. Finally, the woman turned to her fellows “this bus is clear,” she announced “sorry about the delay folks” I let out a nervous breath as I watched them leave, on my right, the little boy sitting next to me nodded, his eyes glowing a brilliant red, I nodded back at J’onn as the bus passed the roadblock…


	2. Enthralled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I opened my mouth to scream and shout  
I waved my arms and flapped about  
But I couldn’t scream and I couldn’t shout  
I couldn’t scream and I couldn’t shout

\--Florence + the Machine: “Bird Song”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“Is that it?” Kara asked as we passed over a field of ice, the aurora borealis shimmering nearby

“That’s it” I confirmed. A few minutes later we landed and marched into the Fortress of Solitude

“You’re freezing” Kara said, I nodded as I shivered despite the parka I’d grabbed from the DEO locker room

“I’m fine,” I dismissed “Kelex!” I bellowed out, my voice echoing in the cavernous space “Kelex! Where are you?”

“ _How may I assist you Lady Alexandra?_ ” the little robot asked as it—he?—floated over

“ _’Lady’_ Alexandra?” Kara asked

“ _Alexandra Danvers is the Secondary to the current Primary of the House of In-ze, General Astra_ ” Kelex explained, Kara giggled

“What does all that mean?” I asked, she squirmed

“It, uh, means that, under Kryptonian custom, you and Astra are, um…” she waved her hands “betrothed” I blinked

“OK, deal with that later,” I muttered “Kelex, where’s Clark?” I asked

“ _Syntax unclear, please rephrase_ ” I rolled my eyes

“Where is _Kal-El?_ ” I corrected

“ _Kal-El is currently attending to a matter off-world,_ ” Kelex answered “ _how may I assist you?_ ” I took a breath of ice cold air

“Kelex, tell us everything you know about Myriad” I ordered, he twitched and waved its hands

“ _Warning, this construct is not authorized to discuss Myriad_ ”

“Then who is?” I demanded

“ _Authorization to discuss Myriad can only be given by the High Council of the Planetary Federation of Krypton_ ” Kelex explained

“The High Council doesn’t exist anymore,” I pointed out “the people who programmed you not to discuss it are dead, they have been for years. Now, tell us everything you know about Myriad!” Kelex turned, disappearing into the Fortress

“Come on!” Kara groaned “we just need someone to talk to!” there was a chime as a familiar hologram appeared

“ _Hello, Kara_ ” Alura greeted pleasantly, I watched as Kara took a breath

“Mom” she whispered

“ _Myriad was developed on Krypton by your aunt,_ " Alura explained “ _the technology works by affecting the electrical impulses in the brain, interfering and removing those impulses responsible for free will and emotion, thus forcing people to Astra’s way of thinking_ ”

“That makes sense,” I realized, I turned to Kara “when Henshaw had me under his own version of it, it was like I was a stranger to myself, I could hear, I could see, but it was like my emotions had just been shut off, I didn’t care about anything anymore, Henshaw said ‘jump’ and I jumped, no questions asked. And then Mom said something about my Dad and Astra, and I could feel again”

“So, so, all we have to do is just…turn everybody’s emotions back on,” Kara reasoned frantically “but how do we do that?” I turned back to Alura’s hologram

“How do we shut down Myriad?”

“ _I am sorry,_ ” Alura apologized “ _but once begun, Myriad cannot be stopped_ ”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

By the time we reached National City again it was already early morning, people would normally be just getting into work or school. But not today. The entire city was eerily quiet expect for the boom of a couple thousand people all marching in perfect step

“This is creepy” I muttered as Kara came to a stop on the balcony at CatCo, inside the office everybody was at their computers silently typing away, no one spoke, no phones rang, no one even coughed or sneezed or cleared their throat or sniffled

“Kelly?” Kara gently leaned over the shoulder of one woman, a pretty young redhead “Alex, come take a look at this,” she nodded to the screen, more Kryptonian symbols scrolled down the screens “that’s Kryptonese” she muttered

“What is Faora up to?” I wondered as I came over to Winn’s desk “Winn?” I waved a hand in front of his face, snapped my fingers next to his ears, nothing, no response, no sign he was even aware of my existence “damn it, Winn, we could really use a friend right now” I muttered

“James?” I looked up, following Kara as she hurried to James’ office, James—just like everybody else—was sitting, zombie-like in front of his computer, typing away “James?” Kara gripped his shoulders and shook him a little “you’re stronger than this, come back,” she pleaded “come back to _me,_ ” she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder “please”

“Kara,” I called out, I watched as she reluctantly pulled herself away from James’ side “take look” I nodded to one of TVs hanging from the ceiling

“ _…we have blocked every entrance way into National City,_ ” General Lane was saying “ _until this threat is neutralized, National City is effectively under quarantine_ ”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It only took about half a minute for Lane to take our call

“ _This is General Lane_ ” he answered once we’d been transferred to his command post

“General, this Agent Danvers and Supergirl” I replied

“ _How’s Lucy?_ ” he asked immediately

“She’s alive, she’s safe” Kara answered

“ _She’s enthralled to General Astra’s master weapon isn’t she?_ ” he asked

“General Faora, sir,” I corrected, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice “and yes, she is”

“Look, General,” Kara pitched in “you need to keep everybody out of city limits until Agent Danvers and I can fix this”

“ _Tell me how is it that Agent Danvers is unaffected by this?_ ” Lane asked

“I don’t know, sir,” I answered, not a lie, I really didn’t know, all I had was a theory that just happened to fit the facts. I sighed “look, I know that you and I and Supergirl haven’t had the best working relationship, but…”

“ _I’ll do my part,_ ” he answered “ _I trust you’ll do yours. Good luck_ ”

“Likewise, General” I replied as we hung up. Kara sighed “hey,” I said genetly “we’ll figure this out”. We both looked up, startled, as Cat Grant’s private elevator suddenly dinged, Cat herself marching out, head buried in her phone

“Ker-iah, please tell Harrison Ford that I’m flattered but I don’t date older men, especially if they’re married,” she said as she walked past us and towards her office, she stopped and turned, blinking in surprise as she saw us “oh, Supergirl,” she noted, she glanced at me and smirked “and the other Danvers sister, well, isn’t this nice?” she glanced at her phone “uh, do we have a nine o’clock?” she asked “I’m afraid I don’t know, my assistant usually books these things”

“You’re not a mindless drone” Kara said

“Mm, no, not since Demi Moore and I wore the same dress to the premiere of _Ghosts_. Never again” Cat muttered, going back to her phone

“Ms. Grant, are you…OK?” I asked

“Yes, fine. Why do you ask?” Kara and I stared at each other

“OK, look,” Kara began “everyone in the city’s been affected by this alien signal,” she explained “they’re acting like, like…automations”

“You don’t notice anything…strange here?” I asked, Cat frowned and looked around the room

“Hmm, it does look awfully quiet in here,” she noted “maybe my reign of terror has finally reached its peak effectiveness” I about to ask her more questions when Kara’s cell phone chirped “oh, so you _do_ have a phone,” Cat remarked “could I have that number?”

“It’s my cousin” Kara explained

“Oh, can I get his number as well?”

“He’s coming to help” Kara explained, holding out her phone to me, showing me the text from Clark

> From Clark  
>  I’m coming

“He is?” Cat asked, clearly confused as we hurried out onto the balcony, Cat looked down, seeming to suddenly notice the marching horde of drones down below “my god,” she muttered “what is happening to people?”

“Where is he?” I muttered as I scanned the skyline

“There!” Kara pointed, Cat and I looked up, I squinted as I saw the familiar red and blue streak as Superman came flying in at a fast clip. I felt my stomach drop away as he suddenly stopped and dropped straight down, actually _joining_ the marching crowd below “what?!” Kara demanded

“You got to be kidding me! Myriad’s affecting _him_ too?!” I demanded

“Myriad?” Cat echoed “wait a minute, if its affecting Superman, then are any of us safe?”

“Well,” a new voice suddenly said “I may not be the Man of Steel, but I do have my moments” we all turned to see a smug Maxwell Lord leaning against the doorway…


	3. Do Kryptonians gloat?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Max going to help them, or just make things worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Chapter Three of Part Eight of What we are. Hope you all enjoy this, and away we go!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“Do Kryptonians gloat?” Max asked as we all marched back inside “because I’m pretty sure that, wherever she is, ol’ Auntie-in-law Faora is feeling _pretty good_ about herself right now”

“Max, why am I not surprised that your mind is unaffected?” I wondered

“Hmm, yes,” Cat murmured “what is it they say about cockroaches surviving the apocalypse?”

“How did you find a way to shield your mind?” I asked, Max smirked and tilted his head, pointing to a small, Bluetooth-like device slipped over his right ear

“Ion blockers,” he explained “I realized the Kryptonians were using my LTE interface signal, that’s why they broke into my lab over Christmas. They’re using my satellites to send neural signals directly into the minds of everyone in National City. These,” he tapped the little device “scramble the signal before it reaches my brain” 

“If you invented technology that blocks Myriad,” Kara began “then why didn’t you just give it to the DEO?”

“Because since you aunt Astra and boss were arrested I didn’t have anyone to trust,” Max explained “speaking of which, just where is the little woman, Alex? Off scaring orphans?”

“Somewhere safe from you” I replied

“Well, clearly not everyone needs this…ear-wing thingy,” Cat commented “because Ms. Danvers and I don’t have any and we’re unaffected” Max grinned at her

“I see you got the earrings I sent you last night” Cat smirked and nodded

“Oh, I see, ion blockers in the diamonds, right? Hmm, so many karats and yet so functional” Max shrugged

“Didn’t seem right for the world to lose Cat Grant’s mind,” he commented “speaking of which, where is your faithful assistant? Out marching with the masses?” he was teasing her, taunting her with the knowledge that he knew more than she did

“Don’t be glib, Max,” Cat dismissed “probably should be worried about her” Max smirked and leaned towards me, examining my head

“And as for you, Alex, I’m guessing your girlfriend General Astra found a way to protect your mind?” I smirked back

“Something like that” I replied, I felt a bit smug myself as his disgruntled expression, he didn’t know why I was unaffected and that irked him. Good, I thought, let him stew on that

“Wait a minute,” Kara began “if it only affects humans, then why was my cousin affected?”

“Nature versus nurture,” I realized “he may be an alien, but he was raised by humans, he thinks like us, sees himself _as_ human”

“Very good, Alex,” Max praised “seems like environmental factors play a part. The Man of Steel brought to his knees just because he went to kindergarten and watched _Sesame Street_ ”

“This is not a game” Kara warned, Max scowled

“Everything I’ve feared has come to pass, I couldn’t be more serious”

“We have to stop them, they’re using _your_ satellites,” she pointed out “can’t you…reprogram them, destroy Myriad from the inside?”

“I tried,” Max explained “there’s some pretty epic forcefields around those satellites”

“I know you, Max, you’re always ten steps ahead,” Cat commented “so, don’t tell me you don’\t have a plan”

“Of course I have a plan,” he grinned “we kill ‘em all”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Max, please tell us how you’re planning on killing an army of Supermans?” Cat asked five minutes later

“I’ll tell you the plan once you’re all onboard,” Max dismissed, he nodded to Kara “can’t Muscles and her girl Friday here stopping me”

“Killing is never the answer” Kara dismissed

“Except we’re way past ‘villains of the week’ and kittens stuck in trees,” he dismissed “we’re at war, and the only to win a war is to kill the enemy before they kill you. So, time to put on the big girl cape and save the world”

“Spoken like someone’s who’s never seen combat” I remarked, Max smirked

“I’m surprised at you, Alex,” he said “I’d think a woman like yourself would be able to see reason, especially since your sleeping with the enemy”

“So, what?” I wondered “we just stoop to their level, kill or be killed? Where does it end Max?”

“It ends once every threat to this planet is gone” he argued

“Oh, dear,” Cat suddenly muttered “hmm, looks like someone made it past security” we turned, watching as Faora marched into the room

“The son of Jor-El has already knelt before for me,” she proclaimed “soon so shall you”


	4. Final Solutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the end almost upon them, can they stop Myriad without killing anyone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, here's double update of Part Eight of What we are! Enjoy!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

It was mid-afternoon by the time J’onn and I reached Eliza’s home, J’onn still didn’t agree with this plan, but I overruled him. Eliza would never betray us

“So, what do we do? Just knock?” he wondered, an unnerving amount of maturity in his child-like voice, I shrugged

“I suppose so” I answered as I raised a hand and knocked, the door opened and Eliza Danvers leaned out. She frowned at us, her eyes widening as she recognized me

“Astra! Oh my god!” she opened the door and pulled me into a firm embrace “what are you doing here?” she demanded as she ushered us inside, she frowned down at J’onn “and…who is this?”

“Oh,” I looked down at his child’s form “right. That is somewhat more difficult to explain”

“Eliza,” J‘onn began “you might want to step back” she watched, confused as he shifted back into Hank Henhsaw

“J’onn,” she realized, she looked back at me, confused “Astra, what is going on?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have time to explain,” I said as I moved past her further into the house “J’onn and I are still on the run. We just came here to supply”

“Wait, ‘on the run’?” Eliza asked “how did you even get out of the city?” I stopped and turned back to face her

“What do you mean?” I asked, she stared at me

“You don’t know what’s happening in National City? There’s something you both need to see”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“I don’t want to fight you, children,” Faora rasped out, sounding an awful lot like her brother as she gave Kara and I the once over “you’ve already lost, both you and Astra. Her dream for what Earth can become has become her own destruction. Accept it” I shook my head

“She doesn’t want this” I pointed out, Faora smirked

“This is what everyone wants, is it not, human? Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men”

“Its a lot less like Christmas out there and more like _Dawn of the Dead_ ” Cat spat out

“The human race finally has a chance to _live_ ,” Faora spat out “or it would suffer the same fate as Krypton. And the same thing is happening here on Earth, with a populace more interested in reality stars and political circuses, then working together to solve the world’s problems”

“So, mind control is the answer to global warming?” Max mocked “why didn’t I think of that?”

“Thanks to Myriad, there are no more racial divisions, no more Democrats, no more Republicans,” Faora explained “only one people, working with one purpose, towards one goal. To save this world”

“The human race is better than this” Kara explained, Faora chuckled

“These three are the best your world has to offer?” she mocked “a woman who’s only interest is in her own vanity? A spoiled child? And Astra’s _pet?_ All they have done is delayed the inevitable. If anything, they laid the groundwork for me”

“You’ve already turned us into drones” Winn spoke up suddenly, Kara gasped and moved towards him, but I put out an arm and shook my head. I knew, first hand, what was going on inside Winn’s head, he didn’t care anymore

“Your efforts have only made matters worse” James’ voice suddenly called out

“James” Kara whispered, she looked so heartbroken right then

“But now everyone is united,” Winn added “everyone’s creativity is dedicated to eradicating disease, famine, climate change”

“This is _not_ the way to solve the world's problems” Kara hissed

“This is the inevitability of Myriad” James explained

“Your heroics have done nothing to save the world” Winn accused flatly

“Faora, stop this!” I growled out, Faora smirked

“These are you friends, are they not?” she asked “I have lost all I have, Alexandra Danvers. Permit me to return the favor” we watched as Winn suddenly stood up

“Kelly?” Cat called out as Kelly stood up and headed towards Cat’s office

“What’s happening?” Max demanded

“Faora has ended crime in National City in one day. One second” Winn said as he marched towards the balcony

“Which is more than you three have ever done” James added as he walked out onto the balcony on the opposite of the room

“James, James, James!” Kara called out, she turned, torn “Winn?! Kelly?”

“No, no, no!” Max yelled

“Oh my god” I whispered as I realized what was happening, all three stood, posed to jump. Three people, three different places. There was no way Kara could catch all of them

“Faora, stop!” Kara snarled, Faroa just smiled

“Catch” she said simply as all three of them threw themselves off at the same time

“NO!” Kara shot forward in a gust of wind. For a long moment, Cat, Max, and I just stood there waiting as Faora disappeared. I felt my heart stop as Kara flew back up, softly landing on the balcony holding James and Winn.

 _Only_ James and Winn

“You missed one” James said flatly

“Do not stand against me, or more will die” Winn warned

“Everyone you know, love, and care for will die,” James added, he stepped forward, reaching out to cup her face, Faora mocking their relationship “accept defeated, Kara Zor-El. I have already saved National City. Soon, I will save the world” with the both turned and went back to their keyboards…  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Happiness hit her like a train on a track  
Coming towards her stuck still no turning back  
She hid around corners and she hid under beds  
She killed it with kisses and from it she fled

\--Florence + the Machine: “Dog Days Are Over”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

“Was she happy here?” I asked as I stared at a photo of Kara and Alex. Eliza looked up

“I’d like to think she was,” she answered, she sighed “this is what you were talking about, weren’t you?” she asked softly “Myriad” I nodded

“Yes”

“So, what are you planning to do about it?” I stared at her

“Do?” I echoed, she smirked

“I don’t seriously believe that you’re just going to give up” I chuckled

“No, I’m not” I answered

“So?” she encouraged

“Could I use your phone?” she nodded. I found myself pacing back and forth, J’onn and Eliza watching me, as I waited for the call to connect

“ _Hello?_ ” Kara answered shakily

“Kara? Are you all right?” I asked

“ _Aunt Astra,_ ” she breathed, clearly relieved to hear my voice “ _I’m fine_ ” she said shakily

“You always were a terrible liar”

“ _Yes,_ ” she answered “ _where are you?_ ”

“At Eliza’s”

“ _Good, stay there, Faora’s out to get you, so just stay there_ ”

“I’m not going to leave you there by yourself”

“ _I’m not alone,_ ” she answered “ _I have Alex_ ”

“Alex? She’s all right? Let me speak to her”

“ _Yeah, hold on_ ” there was a shuffling sound and then

“ _Astra?”_ ”

“Alex,” I breathed “you’re all right” I realized

“ _Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,_ ” she answered, she took a breath “ _more or less_ ”

“Why weren’t you affected?”

“ _I don’t know, best I can figure is that Henshaw’s version of Myriad gave me some kind of immunity to it_ ,” she explained “ _how are things on your end?_ ”

“Middling,” I answered “so, it’s just the two of you?” she sighed

“ _No, there’s Maxwell Lord and Cat Grant with us, they’re unaffected too_ ” I sighed

“Of course, Lord found a way to protect himself,” I muttered “you should’ve let me kill him when I had the chance”

“ _Easy,_ she soothed “ _look, just stay at Mom’s, OK? Faora’s on the warpath, she’s already killed one person just to make a point, so just lay low, OK? _”__

“Alex…” I tried

“ _I got to go, I’m sorry_ ”

“Alex,” I snarled in frustration as she hung up. I sighed as I turned to Eliza and J’onn “she and Kara are working with Maxwell Lord to stop Faora” I explained

“I’m going back” J’onn said as he stood up

“I don’t think you can” Eliza argued

“I’m not human,” he reminded her “Myriad won’t affect me”

“It won’t affect me either” I pointed out

“Absolutely not,” J’onn said firmly “you’re staying here where Faora can’t touch you. It’s what Alex would want, it’s what your niece wants, and it’s what your sister would want”

“Bullshit!” I spat out “I have never run away from a fight, not on Krypton, and certainly not here. My _family_ is out there, J’onn, my niece and my lover, they are in danger, and I will _not_ sit idly by when I have a chance to save them!”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 **Alex**

“Are you finally ready to do what needs to done?” Max asked

“What’s your plan?” I finally asked

“Well, before the three us sang Kumbaya and became friends, I was working on a weapon against Kryptonians,” he explained “all Kryptonians”

“What kind of weapon?” Kara asked

“A bomb. Filled with kryptonite dust. It’ll irradiate the entire city. Choke them all to death,” Max explained “no more Myiard”

“That will _kill_ both her and Superman” I pointed out

“Not unless she flies up and detonates it over the city center,” Max dismissed “then she and he skedaddle. She won’t be able to come back to the city for…oooh, fifty years? But that’s a small price to pay for saving the world”

“How convenient for you, Max,” Cat drawled with a chuckle “you get all the credit and the only person who can say otherwise can’t even get within a mile of city limits without dying. What about the _humans_ , Max?” she demanded “what’ll happen to them?”

“The concussive force necessary to properly disperse the kryptonite dust will result in…some loses”

“What kind of ‘losses’, Max?” I demanded

“Eight percent of the population” he answered

“’Eight percent’?” Cat repeated “eight percent of four million people is over _three hundred thousand_ people, Max!”

“Compared to the six billion people on this planet that Faora wants to turn into zombies”

“Please tell me that you two aren’t seriously considering this?” Cat demanded

“They are,” Max answered when we didn’t respond “because they know that it’s our only chance. If this spreads from National City, it won’t be long until every man, woman, and child, including yours,” he pointed at Cat “…are on their knees. I won’t let that happen”

“What if we tell Faora that we have this weapon?” Kara suggested “make her see reason?” Max scoffed

“Tell that to Kelly, the office skydiver”

“Oh, please,” Cat scoffed “have you no shame?”

“No, he doesn’t” I said

“Exactly,” Max said “all I have is my mind, and I’m sure for how much longer, what I know is that for every second we don’t act, we risk the end of humanity” he fixed Kara and I with a hard stare “time to save the world, ladies. Are you with me?”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

**Astra**

“Astra, we’ve been through this,” J’onn said as I changed into an old pair of Alex’s clothes that Eliza had loaned me “this isn’t up for discussion” 

“I told you once, J’onn that we are of a kind” I remind him as I loaded my gun, it would be completely ineffective against Faora, but I felt more comfortable with a weapon at the ready

“Astra, I know that you feel responsible for this, but you can’t fight this!” Eliza argued, I paused in my movements

“When I found out that Krypton was dying, I never felt so helpless. Everyone I cared for, my sister, Kara, was going to die, and I could do _nothing_. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t at least _try_ to save my world. Myriad was not a solution, it never was, but at least I _tried_. That’s all any of us can do: try to do the right thing” Eliza nodded slowly

“Then, here,” she turned to a coat rack by the front door, gently removing a worn brown leather jacket “this was Jeremiah’s,” she explained, holding out it to me “he called it his ‘lucky jacket’,” she explained with a tad of wistfulness in her voice “take it,” she encouraged “maybe some of his luck will rub off on you” she said

“Thank you,” I whispered as I reverently took the jacket and slid it on. It fit me almost-perfectly I noticed. I turned to J’onn, expecting another argument, but instead he merely nodded and then quietly shifted into his true form “let’s go” I said

“Astra,” Eliza called out, I turned as she suddenly pulled me into a firm embrace “promise me you’ll bring them home” she whispered in my shoulder

“I promise that I will try” I whispered back as J’onn quietly approached, I watched, somewhat surprised as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss against her lips

“ ** _We’ll see you soon, Eliza_** ” he promised as we stepped out the door. I spared a glance back at her as I took off after J’onn, hoping that I could keep my promise  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

**Alex**

“Did you get an answer?” Max asked as he talked to General Lane on Skype

“ _I’ve spoken with the President directly,_ ” Lane explained “ _she agrees with your assessment and has granted you permission to proceed with your plan_ ”

“Thank you, General”

“ _Agent Danvers_ ” Lane called out, I leaned forward

“Yes, General?”

“ _The President had hoped that we could have found a peaceful solution to this matter, and frankly so did I. Therefore, both she and I agree that Mr. Lord’s plan is to be used_ only _as a last resort, the President hopes that you and Supergirl can save National City before we have to resort to Mr. Lord’s plan_ ” I nodded, relived that Lane had seen sense

“Understood” I replied, Lane nodded back, looking grim

“ _May god have mercy on our souls_ ” he proclaimed just before he ended the call. I turned to Max

“How long to do you need?”

“Well, if I start now, about half a day” I nodded

“Good, that gives us plenty of time to come up with alternative” Max smirked

“Don’t cheer yet, Alex” he warned  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

**Astra**

It was already mid-afternoon when J’onn and I landed in National City

“Are you all right?” I asked as I saw him stumble as he shifted back into human form

“This Myriad signal is really strong,” he groaned “it’s irritating against my telepathic senses”

“I’m not abandoning you” I shook my head, he chuckled

“Wouldn’t bother asking,” he said as he straightened up “I’m all right,” he assured me “so, what’s the plan, General?”

“We find Kara and Alex and regroup, find out what’s happened so far, and _what_ in Rao’s Light Maxwell Lord is planning”

“Nothing good, I’d imagine” J’onn muttered. There was a sudden streak of blue and something slammed into to us with a mad cackle

Indigo

J’onn and I sprung to out feet, drew our guns, and opened fired. The bullets sinking into Indigo’s synthetic skin with no effect. She chuckled as she held up a hand, the perfectly intact bullets rising up out of her palm

“Nice try,” she taunted us as she let the bullets drop the ground “you two didn’t even see me coming. I calculated only a twenty six point three percent chance that either of you would show up. Once again, defying the odds,” she smirked at us “just like those times your peoples perished, and you both survived. But, the humans might call that ‘lucky’” I watched as J’onn grimaced and then suddenly phased through her, knocking her to the ground with a blow to her back

“It has **_nothing_** to do with luck!” he snarled, he seized her ankle and began to drag her, kicking and struggling. Finally, he spun on his heel and flung her into a storage shed nearby, sending a spectacular fireball as something ignited within

“Are you all right?” I asked as I hurried over to him

“I’m fine,” he grunted “thanks for all your help”

“You seemed to have everything under control,” I noted, I stiffened as I watched Indigo reform herself out of the flames “J’onn!” he turned

“GET DOWN!!” he shoved me aside as she threw out an arm. The limb coiling out like a whip to stab him in the abdomen, forcing him back into a truck

“No!” I lunged for her as she _twisted_ the weapon before wrenching it free from J’onn’s body. With that done, she easily threw me aside and then grabbed me by the throat and hoisted me off the ground, her grip tightening, making hard for me to breathe

“Stand down!” she ordered as J’onn struggled to his feet, she changed her index finger into a blade, placing its point at my forehead “or I _scrape _her brain from her skull!”__

“J’onn, don’t!” I gasped out “just go, find Kara! Stop Myriad!” I watched in horror as he suddenly fell to his knees, shifting back into his true form, falling to ground, his breathing shallow

“Endangered, and now extinct,” Indigo sighed, she turned to me, a rectus grin on her face “and you’re next… _human_ ”


	5. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As long as we have hope we can survive anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, here's another update! Enjoy!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

The sun was setting when I shuffled out onto the balcony, a stolen glass of Cat’s whiskey in my hand

“I’ve always liked the view out of this window,” Cat sighed from behind me “I wish I had it from my office,” she continued as she came to stand next to me “I like looking down on the park, watching people having picnics, the mother’s pushing their strollers. I wonder how many will die in Max’s moronic attempt to save the world?”

“You’re asking the wrong person,” I grumbled as I took a swung of whiskey “I’m not like her”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Cat chuckled “you helped raise her didn’t you?” I turned to stare at her, she smirked “are we really going to play this game?” I sighed, too tired and emotionally drained to bother trying to keep up the pretense

“Guess not,” I muttered as I took another drink “so, why haven’t you told anyone?” I wondered, she shrugged

“Why ruin a good thing? She obviously needs someplace to just _be_ Kara ‘Sunny’ Danvers, and you see that’s the key word there ‘sunny’. She’s like that because of _you_ , Alex, you should hear her talk about you, she lights up whenever she mentions you or her aunt. You both are her heroes”

“I don’t really feel all that heroic right now” I grumbled

“Maybe not,” she agreed “but that’s only because you’re scared, so am I. For that matter so is Max, some of the worst decisions we make are the ones we make when we’re afraid. But you don’t need superpowers or an S on your chest to save the world, just _be_ her sister, and the rest will fall into place”

“Thank you, Cat” we looked back to see Kara standing in the doorway

“You’re welcome,” Cat replied “by the way, this changes _nothing_ , are we clear?” Kara nodded

“Crystal,” she replied as she walked over to me “do you think she’s coming?” she asked softly, nodding to the darkening sky, I shook my head

“I told her stay away” I explained softly as the sun finally sank over the horizon and the first stars started to appear

“You should know by now that I’ll always come to you, love,” I looked up, watching as Astra softly landed next to us. For a second I just stared at her as she gave me a small smile, one of those soft smiles she saves only for me “are you all right?” she asked, I nodded weakly as I slowly took a step forward, realizing that she was actually here, that I wasn’t seeing things. The next thing I knew I was rushing forward and wrapping my arms around her, holding her tight

“What are you doing here?” I demanded as I pulled back “I told you not to come” she smirked, that goddamn smirk

“Do either you think that I would just leave you to fend for yourselves?” she asked, I had to chuckle as Kara sighed and wrapped Astra up in a hug

“Are those Alex’s clothes?” Kara asked as she pulled back, Astra blinked and looked down

“Oh, yes, Eliza lent them to me for the time being,” she explained “I couldn’t exactly go into battle in a sundress and a blonde wig, now could I?”

“I would’ve liked to have to seen you in that,” I chuckled as I fingered the leather jacket she was wearing “is this…?” she nodded

“Your mother gave it to me,” she explained “she said that maybe some of your father’s luck might rub off on me,” she shrugged “I suppose it did, considering that I’m still here”

“Is that…blood?” Kara asked as I pushed the jacket aside, noticing the large smear of blood on her white sweater

“It’s not mine,” Astra dismissed, I stiffened “J’onn’s fine, he’s recovering at the DEO” she explained

“Faora?” Kara asked, Astra shook her head

“Indigo” she answered

“What?” I demanded “are you telling that blue skinned bitch is back?!”

“Makes sense,” Kara said “who else could hack into Maxwell Lord’s satellites so easily?”

“So, what now?” Cat asked, reminding us that she was there “I’m assuming, and hoping, that Superwoman here can lend us a hand?”

“Oh my god, that’s it!” Kara suddenly exclaimed, she turned to us, grinning “I know how we can stop Myriad!”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

Getting into Maxwell Lord’s office was easy, it’s not like his security people were in any mood to stop us. Max looked up from loading a crate with vials of kryptonite dust

“General Astra!” he exclaimed with false cheer “how nice to see you again”

“I wish I could say the same,” Astra replied as she put a hand on top of crate and slammed it shut, Max yelped and yanked his fingers away “I apologize” Astra deadpanned

“So, anyway,” Max began, shaking out his hands “I’m assuming that you’re all here because you changed your minds”

“Oh, we’re not here to talk about your bomb,” Cat shook her head “Supergirl has a plan” he nodded

“Which means that these three browbeat you” he gestured between the rest of us

“Inspired is more like it” Kara explained

“All right, I’m game, what’s _your_ plan?”

“Hope” I said simply, Max nodded slowly

“You know what, I’m going to go with the plan that has the bomb that kills all the bad guys instead” Kara shook her heads

“No. No bomb, no killing”

“You think I want to do this? It’s the only way to win”

“What exactly are we ‘winning’ here, Max?” I asked “more death? More destruction? More violence? More chaos? You were afraid of Supergirl because you thought that she’d be irresponsible, that she’d hurt or kill people indiscriminately, that she’d be playing god. That is _exactly_ the choice you’re making with this bomb”

“Please tell me that you’ve had enough analysis to know that she’s right” Cat groaned

“You’re afraid of me, you’re afraid of Faora,” Kara picked up “make _another_ choice”

“The best type of victory is the kind where no blood is shed” Astra proclaimed

“Listen to the General, Max,” Cat encouraged “she got that title for a reason” Max nodded slowly

“All right,” he said at last “I’m listening”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“Will any of this equipment work?” Kara wondered as the lights flickered on

“Well, no reason why it shouldn’t” Cat explained as she began to pull drop cloths off various pieces of equipment

“So, you brought us to your very first, very out of the way TV station so we can…what? Dust off your Daytime Emmy?” Max complained

“No, Max,” Cat began “we brought you here to inspire. We are going to show people a symbol of love, optimism, and yes, hope. One so powerful that people will recognize it even under of this spell”

“OK,” Max began “where do we start?”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“I’m still somewhat confused,” I began “your plan is to broadcast…a symbol?”

“Of hope” Cat explained

“Of hope” I repeated

“And a speech” Cat added

“A speech?” I asked, my confusion growing by the second

“Yes, a speech, Agent Danvers,” Cat explained “your sister is my protégée, reaching people is what I do. Plus, there is scientific evidence that supports my plan. General?”

“Myriad works by shutting down the connection between the amygdale and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex” Astra explained as she and Max dug around in the guts of a console

“The parts of the human brain that create optimism and hope” I realized as the pieces fell into place

“Exactly,” Astra explained “assuming Mr. Lord and I can get this equipment working, we can reestablish that connection”

“Assuming, this equipment is a dinosaur,” Max muttered “but we’re in luck _because_ this place is old”

“Not that old” Cat dismissed

“Not ‘old’ old,” Max explained “but old enough that it uses broadcast instead of digital”

“Which suits our plan,” Astra pitched in as she rewired several connections at superspeed “we can calibrate our own message to Myriad’s frequency”

“Without leaving any online footprints,” Max added “we just piggyback a signal off it and it’ll ride the wave without anyone noticing”

“Take that Indigo” Kara grinned from the broadcast booth as she worked on her speech

“The problem is ensuring that the message appears on both computers and cell phones at the same time as Kara’s speech is broadcast on television” Astra explained

“If I can do that, I’m an even bigger genius than I thought” Max muttered

“Please, don’t let it go to your head,” Astra muttered “all right, we’re ready. Kara?”

“I’m ready” she called out, giving us thumbs up

“OK,” Max called out “in…three…two…one” the ‘on air’ light flickered on

“People of National City,” Kara began “this is Supergirl, and,” she paused and took a breath “and I hope you can hear me. We have been attacked. Mothers and fathers, children, friends and neighbors. Everyone, suddenly stopped by a force of evil as great as this world has ever know. Your attacker has sought to take your free will, your individuality, your sprit, everything that makes you who you are,” she took another breath “when facing an attack like this, it’s easy to feel hopeless. We retreat, we hide, we lose our strength, we lose ourselves. I know. I lost everything when I was young. When I first landed on this planet I was scared and alone, but I found out that there is so much love in this world, our there for the taking. And you, the people of National City, you helped me. You let me be who I’m meant to be. You gave me back to myself, you made me stronger than I ever thought possible, and I love you for that. Now, inside each and every one of you, there is a light, a spark, a spirit that cannot be snuffed out. That won’t give up. I need your help again, I need you to hope. Hope. That you will remember that can all be heroes. Hope. That when faced with an enemy determined to destroy your spirit that you will _fight back and thrive_. Hope. That those who once may have shunned you, will, in a moment of crisis, come to your aid. Hope. That you will see again the faces of those you love,” she glanced to her left, looking at Astra I realized “and perhaps even those you’ve lost” she continued as my cell phone buzzed, the Crest of El proudly staring back at me as everyone else’s phones rang.

“It’s working,” I realized “it worked”

“Did you doubt her, love?” Astra wondered, smiling softy at me, I shook my head, grinning at her

“Never,” I answered “not her. And certainly not you”


	6. Headaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have they really won?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's another update of Part Eight of What we are, I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter and I hope they enjoy this one! :=)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Kara**

After my speech, it didn’t take that long for everything to get back to normal. By the next morning, as I walked into CatCo with Ms. Grant’s latte and muffin, you could never tell by looking around that anything had happened yesterday

“Kara!” I looked up to see Winn and James hurrying over to me

“Hi!”

“Hey, look,” Winn started “just, about the things we said, to you, to Alex…”

“What he’s trying to say is we’re sorry” James explained, I shook my head

“It wasn’t you,” I said “ _this_ is you” I explained as I pulled them into a hug

“And, thanks, for, you know, saving our lives” Winn added, I smiled until I saw Kelly’s empty desk, a few people had already put some flowers and cards in her desk, but it still looked _so_ empty without her. She had been nice, always brought cupcakes on everybody’s birthdays

“Hey,” James said softly, touching my shoulder, bringing me back to reality “Kara, you know, nobody could have saved all three of us. Not even Clark” I nodded

“Well, the DEO is working on finding Faora and Indigo,” I explained “and when they do, they’ll pay for what they did” James and Winn nodded

“Well, I’m just happy that you’re safe and that three of us are back together again” James said, I had to smile me

“Me too,” I said, but my happiness died when I suddenly remembered something “look, there’s something I have to tell you. Both of you”

“Sure, yeah, what is it?” James asked

“The morning meeting was to begin fifteen seconds ago, people,” Ms. Grant called out as she passed by “you people were more punctual as drones. Scurry!”

“Later?” I asked

“Yeah sure” Winn answered

“After the scurrying” James nodded as we hurried into Ms. Grant’s office.

I guess she was right. Knowing I was Supergirl didn’t change anything  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

Walking around the DEO was a somewhat surreal experience as I watched agents sweep up broken glass and right fallen equipment, apparently despite Kara and Alex’s best efforts, Faora had succeeded in releasing a good portion of the prisoners, most of whom—being unaffected by Myriad—had promptly gone on a rampage through the facility, destroying several pieces of equipment and injuring several agents before making their escape out into the world at large. Moving out of Command, I soon found myself outside the isolation lab where J’onn was resting

“Astra?” I turned to see Lucy walk up me

“Hello, Lucy” she smiled and nodded at the lab

“How is he?” she asked

“Resting, recovering” I explained

“Lucy?” Lucy and I turned from our vigil to see General Lane walk up behind us. I watched as Lucy walked up to him before throwing herself into her father’s arms, whatever their relationship was like, he was still her father

“I’m glad you’re here” she said

“Did you have any doubt that I would come?” he asked as she pulled away, he straightened, becoming a soldier once more “so, how is it that Superman is still MIA?” he asked

“We don’t know,” Lucy answered “we’re hoping that he’ll contact us soon” she explained, Lane nodded and turned to the two soldiers who had accompanied him

“You can re-secure the prisoner J’onn J’onzz now” he ordered

“You’re arresting him?” I demanded “the man is still wounded!” I exclaimed as one solider quickly entered the isolation lab and shackled J’onn to the gurney

“He just helped saved this city,” Lucy exclaimed “all of us. They _both_ did”

“What he has done subsequent to his crimes are neither here nor there, Luce,” Lane explained “and the only reason that I am not placing _her_ ,” he nodded to me “…under arrest is because the President has decided that she still qualifies as a defector” he explained

“Don’t you _get it_ , Dad?” Lucy sighed “as long as you keep treating everything as black and white, you’re going to keep breeding the same kind of _hate and resentment_ that allowed the Kryptonians to almost destroy us today”

“I am trying to _protect_ us,” Lane exclaimed “especially you, Lucy”

“And that is what makes it _so_ sad,” Lucy sighed “because you keep pushing me away. Like you pushed away Lois” ending the argument, she turned and brushed past me into the isolation lab, I quietly followed her as she came to stand by J’onn’s bedside “J’onn….I’m so sorry” she said softly as awkwardly she took his hand

“Well, it’s not like I’m going anywhere anyway” he dismissed

“Your father is only doing what he thinks is right for his children, Lucy,” I explained as I pulled a stool over and sat down next to J’onn “no matter how wrong he may actually be”

“Fathers are like that with their daughters” J’onn added, a brief look of grief crossing his face

“All parents are” I agreed softly  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

I sighed as I cleaned up the mess my lab had become after the prison break. I was struggling to lift a cabernet back onto its feet when a pair of hands gently brushed mine away and righted it easily, I blinked and looked up at Astra

“Hey” I said oh so intelligently, she smiled

“Hey” she repeated

“You didn’t have to do that, you know?” I told her, she shook her head as she helped me to my feet

“Between enduring Hank Henshaw’s version of Myriad and then helping to stop the genuine article you deserve a rest,” she explained, I noticed suddenly that she was still wearing my Dad’s jacket. It was weird, you’d think I’d feel weird seeing that, you know? My girlfriend wearing my dad’s jacket, but it didn’t feel weird, it felt…right. Like Dad was somehow watching over Astra, giving her his blessing “Alex, are you all right?” she asked

“What? Yeah, I’m fine, I just got a headache” I explained, she frowned

“What kind of headache?” she asked, I shrugged

“I don’t know, a headache, I can’t describe it”

“Yes you can,” she nodded “because right now there’s a pressure in your heard, radiating from the inside out and getting stronger by the second. It’s making it hard for you to think, hard to talk, hard to see or hear even” I stared at her, she’d described every one of my symptoms exactly right

“How did you…?”

“Because I’ve seen this before,” she explained “when Indigo unleashed her own unstable version of Myriad on Krypton, many of the victims reported similar symptoms”

“So, what does this mean?” I asked as I got a sinking feeling in my gut

“That we haven't shut down Myriad, that the wave is increasing, amplifying exponentially” she explained

“Amplifying to what end?” I asked as my head kept throbbing, if my head didn't hurt so much I probably could've figured out the answer on my own

“The death of every person on this planet,” she explained “Faora couldn’t control humanity, so now she’s going to exterminate them”


	7. Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're running out of time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Kara**

“The Myriad wave was designed to penetrate and affect neural tissue,” Astra explained “but now the wave’s strength is increasing, into the terahertz level, far beyond the human brain’s ability to withstand”

“Like using an uzi against a mosquito” Lucy muttered

“And we’re the mosquito,” Alex muttered “how much time do we have?”

"Four hours,” Astra explained “then the electromagnetic energy of the wave will build to a point where…” she trailed off, not really needing to finish that sentence

“Where our heads all go boom,” Maxwell Lord picked up “except for yours and Supergirl’s” he added

“Don’t you have somewhere better to be?” Alex demanded “like at Lord Tech, helping your employees get through this?” she suggested

“That’s what company shrinks on retainer are for,” he told her “I’m more concerned with what’s happening here”

“I don’t get it,” I said, ignoring Max and Alex’s argument “we know where Faora and Indigo are hiding, so why don’t we just…go after them?”

“Because firstly, no human would be able to withstand the wave’s strength that close to the source, and secondly, the signal is not coming from Fort Rozz” Astra explained

“Then where’s it coming from?” Alex wondered

“Unknown, the signal is being redirected over a dozen different satellites,” Astra explained “they could be anywhere on the planet or still be at Fort Rozz and we might never know until it was too late”

“I need to tell James and Winn” I said

“Whoa, let’s not get our cape into a bunch,” Max said “telling them won’t do anything”

“He’s right, unfortunately,” Astra sighed “telling them will only make matters worse”

“Director Lane, Agent Danvers,” Vasquez walked in “you’re needed in the armory” as Alex and Lucy walked out I turned back to Astra and Max

“Can you find the source?” I asked

“I’ll certainly try” Astra answered, I glanced over Max

“Are you going to help her or just let millions of people die?” I asked

“I’m nor trying to be an ass right now, OK? No one else is rooting for you more than me. But you have to face facts, you can’t go up against an army by yourself, your sidekick J’onn J’onzz is down for the count, and I seriously doubt that Lucy Lane’s father is going to let your aunt here walk around freely for much longer” he pointed out

“I _will_ stop Faora and Indigo” I vowed as I turned to leave

“But at what cost?” Astra asked, I stopped and turned back to face her

“Aunt Astra,” I began “don’t tell Alex my odds, OK?” she shook her head

“You know I can’t do that, little one” she said softly

“I know” I said…  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Walking into CatCo was weird, looking around I couldn’t help but realize that in a few hours that everyone here could be dead

“Hey, you OK?” Winn said as he came up to me “wow,” he gave me a look “maybe you should get in on this lunch order, they’re still taking orders, you know, you could—”

“No, no, its fine,” I lied “I already had like two lunches”

“Really?” he asked “’cause you got that ‘hypoglycemic grr I haven’t eaten in like twenty-five minutes’ look on your face”

“I’m fine” I insisted

“OK” he turned to leave

“Hey, Winn?” I called out “I want you to know that I’m glad I have a friend like you,” I said “I mean from my first day here to when I came out as Supergirl, all of it, I couldn’t have done it without you,” I pulled him into a hug, hoping that this wasn’t the last time I’d do this. He laughed a bit uncomfortably as he pulled back

“Just eat a red vine or something, you’re getting kinda sappy” he told me with a grin

“Yeah, maybe,” I agreed, although we both knew that there was more at steak here than just my appetite “give Lucy my love if you see her?”

“Yeah, sure” I watched him go, hoping that I’d see him again  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ker-iah, go get me one of those ‘moon juice smoothes’ with the Chinese herbs that Gwyneth is always talking about” Ms. Grant ordered me about half an hour after I talked with Winn. I stared at her

“But…you hate Chinese herbs,” I felt obligated to point out “and Gwyneth” she looked up at me, peering over her glasses

“Not true, I don’t like the guy from Coldplay, but ever since they consciously uncoupled, I find her quite tolerable,” she explained, he held out the latte to me “I’ve been thinking, we’ve all been through a lot this past day, we nearly lost everything. So it’s time to seize the day, carpe deium, Ker-iah,” she shook the cup for emphasis “smoothie, heavy on the herbs” she ordered, I nodded as I wrote it down

“Yes, Ms. Grant,” I turned to leave, but stopped “uh, Ms. Grant, I just wanted you to know, that these past two years, working for you, have been some of the best of my life, you’ve been such a wonderful mentor. You inspired me to be…super, to be more than I ever thought I could be, and I just want to say thank you” she stared at me and then slowly took off her glasses

“All right, that was either my eulogy or your carefully dictated suicide note. What is going on with you?” I took a breath

“Nothing, I was just taking your advice, Ms. Grant, ‘seize the day and all that’?” she nodded slowly, clearly not believing me

“All right,” she said “that’s good, carry on,” I turned back to leave “oh, and Ker-iah? The next time you see your aunt, please ask her if she’d be willing to do a sit down interview?” I nodded

“Uh, sure, I’ll ask her, but I don’t think she’ll agree to that, Ms. Grant, you see, she’s kind of a private person, and—”

“Did I ask you for her life story? No, I only asked you to ask her if she’d be willing to do an interview”

“Right. Sorry” she waved a hand

“Smoothie” she reminded me  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey, I was just thinking about you” James said as I walked into his office

“You were?” I asked

“Yeah, sure, you said you had something you needed to tell me?” I blinked as I remembered I was going to tell him that Ms. Grant knew I was Supergirl

“Oh, that, its, yeah, you know, it’s nothing, no big deal”

“You sure?” he asked “because you looked kind of nervous when you mentioned it, whatever it is”

“It’s nothing” I said, he nodded slowly

“OK,” he said “uh, look, hey, I was thinking, maybe after all of this is over we can go out to dinner with Alex and Astra, maybe even with Lucy and Winn too, if they want to come” it was such a nice idea I knew, it sounded wonderful, perfect even

Too bad it could never happen

“Actually, you know, I don’t think that’s a good idea” I said, he frowned

“Why not?”

“Because…,” I sighed “look, these past couple of weeks have been great, despite everything that happened with the red kryptonite, but now…but now everything’s changing, everything’s different, and I just…I can’t, and I’m sorry” I watched as he stared at me

“So, wait, Kara, what are you saying?” I shook my head as I rushed out of the office

“I’m sorry” I said  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

I paused as I lingered in the doorway to the isolation lab, J’onn was already sitting up on the gurney, idly tugging at the cuffs. He frowned as he saw me

“Are you going to stand there all day or come inside?” I chuckled humorlessly as I walked inside

“I never imagined that I would see _you_ in chains like this” I admitted, he shrugged

“Chains and shackles I can deal with, your niece on the other hand…” I sighed

“I take it she’s been to see you?” he shook his head

“She didn’t have to, both James Olsen and Mr. Schott called Lucy to tell her that Kara’s acting strange,” he explained “like she’s…like she’s saying goodbye,” I sighed as he raised an eyebrow “care to fill me in?”

“Myriad is increasing, the wave is getting stronger by the second,” I explained “within…a half an hour, it will kill every human on this planet” J’onn nodded grimly

“I see,” he said “and how are you taking it?”

“ _I don’t want to lose her_ ” I whispered, there was no need for him to ask who I meant by ‘her’

“Then don’t” he said simply  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“What have you got, Max?” I demanded as Kara and I marched into Command, Lucy and her father right behind me

“Found ‘em,” Max exclaimed “right where your girlfriend said they’d be” he tapped a key and map popped up. Pinpointing the source of the Myriad wave at five hundred miles northeast of National City in Nevada

“What the hell is in Nevada?” Lucy wondered

“In my experience mediocre buffets and regret” Max joked

“It’s Fort Rozz,” I explained “they’ve been there the whole time”

“Yep,” Max nodded “they were bouncing the signal off a dozen different satellites to throw us of the scent”

“That’s still not enough,” I said, shaking my head “Fort Rozz held hundreds of prisoners, thousands, the place is a maze, we could spend hours trying to find out exactly where Faora and Indigo are hiding, not mention where they’re holding Superman captive”

“If he’s even still alive” Max pointed out

“I’ll find them,” Kara snarled out as she turned to leave “I’ll shut down Myriad”

“Not by yourself you won’t,” we looked up at J’onn and Astra walked in “we’re coming with you”

"You're still hurt" I pointed out

“It’s too dangerous to send in an agent by herself,” Astra explained “we’re going, end of discussion,” she nodded at General Lane “General, you can arrest us later”

“If you succeed, I don’t think I’ll have to,” he said, he nodded respectfully at her “good luck, General” she nodded back

“Thank you, General” I watched at Kara joined them

“Let’s do this” she said simply

“Wait,” I called out, I took a breath as I walked up to them “be careful” I told them as Kara slowly took her necklace and handed it to me, the one her mother gave her before she put her in the pod. The only reminder she had of Alura

“Keep it safe for me?” she asked as she dropped it into my hand, I nodded

“Sure,” I said, I turned to Astra “Astra, I…” she shook her head 

“Tell me when we get back” she said simply. Then they turned and marched out…


	8. Racing the Clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clock's ticking down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triple update!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

Landing outside Fort Rozz’s perimeter with J’onn and Kara was a surreal experience. Only four months ago I had done the same thing with Kara to rescue Alex from Non, now I was doing it all over again, only this time I was doing it to save all of humanity instead of just one person

“Déjà vu” I muttered, Kara snorted but then sobered

“So, how do we smoke ‘em out?” she asked

“ ** _I think we just did_** ” J’onn answered as three figures landed in front of us, Faora, Indigo, and Clark Kent, his face blank and emotionless

“Where’s your army?” Kara taunted

“Already in their sleeping pods,” Faora explained “preparing for the journey that awaits them once we dispense with the three of you”

“This isn’t what Non wanted, Faora,” I told her “I was with him when he died, we reaffirmed our blood bonds, he knew that this was wrong, he lost his taste for this kind of mindless slaughter. _Please_ ,” I pleaded “hear him now, honor his memory, don't do this”

“I do hear him,” she answered “and he tells me that you have become weak and spineless, Astra,” she spat out “you wanted to save this world? Eradicating the humans will do just that”

“Like Noah after the flood” Clark spoke up

“Only without Noah,” Indigo added, she grinned at us, a wide predatory grin “or you” she lunged, but Kara struck her with a blast of heat vision sending her back into a sprawl. Clark suddenly lunged for me, punching me across the jaw. As I lay there in the sand, struggling to regain my equilibrium, I saw Faroa try to hit J’onn with blast of heat vision herself, but he simply phased through the blast and then charged forward, delivering a powerful uppercut to her chin. sending her careening into to the sky where Kara swiftly attacked her, while Indigo quickly grabbed J’onn by his cape and pulled him back down when he tried to go help Kara…  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“General, we’re almost at critical pitch” Vasquez announced

“How much time do we have?” I asked as I tried to _focus_ , even though my eyes were starting to blur from the pressure in my head

“Less than six minutes!” Susan groaned

“Then our heads go boom” Max muttered

“Come on, Supergirl,” I heard General Lane mutter “come on!” but all I could think was 

_’Please don’t die, please don’t die, please!’_  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

I struggled to my feet and dodged another blow. I’d seen footage of Superman’s battles with various aliens that came to Earth, he was sloppily, unskilled, relying more on brute strength than technique in combat. Ducking under his next blow, I grabbed a fistful of that ridiculous cape and used it as leverage to swing him up and into the ground. Clark groaned, lifted one arm, and then dropped back down unconscious.

With Clark temporary incapacitated, I looked up at the sudden bang as both Kara and Faora landed, each firing off a blast of heat vision at each other. Seeing that there was nothing I could do to help at the moment, I turned back to where I had last seen J’onn and Indigo. Finding that had J’onn and just flung Indigo through the perimeter fence and was charging after her…  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“Five minutes!” Susan announced as the room filled with shouts and screams of pain as people clutched at their heads and fell to the floor. Myself included

 _’Come on, Astra’_ I thought though the pounding in my head _’come on, you can’t lose, not now’_

“They’re…not going to…make it….are they?” I heard Lane suddenly ask, I managed to open my eyes and watched as he weakly sat up and pulled Lucy close and gave her a kiss on the head

“They have to,” Lucy panted out as she sagged against him “they have to”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

I jerked back at something suddenly crashed into the sand. As the dust settled I saw that it was Indigo, she had J’onn pinned underneath her, one hand around his throat

“It’s time for you to join your people, Martian!” she hissed as she formed her free hand into a blade. She hadn’t noticed me, I realized, all of her attention was focused on her next kill

Stupid

Very stupid

I charged, ripping her off of him, and hosting her high above my head

“ _I…have…had...enough…of…YOU!_ ” I snarled as I gripped her by one leg and one arm and then _pulled_. She kicked and struggled in my grip, screaming as I tore her in half

“ ** _Not bad_** ” J’onn panted out as I rushed to his side. We both turned to watch Kara and Faora’s continuing duel. Kara was gaining the upper hand, her heat vision swiftly beginning to outmatch Faora’s. I watched as Kara suddenly let out a primal scream, her voice cracking as she forced Faora’s heat vision back onto herself, Kara suddenly collapsed to the ground as Faroa shook and trembled, screaming as her entire body suddenly burst into flames, incinerating her. By the time her body fell to the ground one could never have known that her remains had once been those of a living creature

“Kara!” J’onn and I rushed towards her. She sat up, coughing and gasping for breath, her nose bleeding, but despite all that, she grinned madly at us

“We did it,” she gasped out “we won,” she frowned “Clark?” she asked, I nodded

“He’ll have a headache when he wakes up, but he’ll be fine” I assured her, she nodded as she leaned against us as she shakily got to her feet

“Let’s shut down Myriad” she said

“It, can’t be shut down, fools!” we turned to see Indigo—or should I say the two halves of her body—still twitching in the sand “I locked the system,” she gloated weakly “the engines won’t fire, you’ll never be able to fly Fort Rozz away. All you’ll be able to do is stand there and watch as everyone you love dies,” she grinned weakly at us “though I guess, between Krypton and Mars, that’s old hat for you” she grinned triumphantly as she finally shut down…


	9. Endings...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can this really be the end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple update! Also I went back and fixed the formatting problems in Chapter Eight, I apologize, but I have no idea what happened there...and now ONWARDS!!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This will be my last confession  
“I love you” never felt like any blessing  
Whisper it like it’s a secret  
Only to condemn the one who hears it  
With a heavy heart

\--Florence + the Machine: “Heavy in Your Arms”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Alex**

“ _Alex,_ ” I weakly looked up to see Susan slumped over the console, an earpiece dangling out her hand “it’s Astra,” she groaned “she, she needs to talk to you” getting up felt like climbing Everest, but I somehow managed to not only sit up but actually stand up and take the earpiece from Susan, I watched as she closed her eyes, whimpering in pain and whispering for Maggie

“Astra?” I held the earpiece to my ear as I walked to the operations table, walking helped a little bit “what’s going on? Myriad’s getting stronger”

“ _We defeated Faora and Indigo,_ ” Astra explained “ _but we can’t shut down Myriad, Indigo locked the system_ ”

“So, what are we going to do?” I asked

“ _I’m going to fly Fort Rozz into space_ ” she explained

“That is not an option, Astra!” I snarled “there’s no air in space, you won’t be able to breath, you won’t be able to generate thrust,” I took a breath “you don’t even know if you can lift Fort Rozz into orbit” I pointed out

“ _When I first came to this planet I vowed to save it,_ ” she explained “ _and that, my darling, has never changed. My methods have changed, the threats to Earth have changed, but my mission never has. I have vowed to save this world from destruction, and_ that _is what I’m going to do_ ”

“You can’t,” I insisted “Kara just got you back, _I_ just got you back”

“ _I know,_ ” she said sadly “ _and I’m sorry, love, I truly am, but there is no other way,_ ” she took a breath “ _I want you to promise me something,_ " she began " _I want you to promise me that you’ll find love again, that you’ll be happy, that you will have the best that this life can give you_ ”

“Astra, I…”

“ _Alex, please, there isn’t much time_ ” I bit my lip and nodded

“I…promise” I said, even though I knew that it was an empty promise. I could never be truly happy without her by my side, I knew that now, I had only found out too late

“ _Good,_ ” she breathed “ _I’m sorry, I have to go now_ ”

“I love you, Astra” I said, not caring anymore if anyone heard

“ _I love you too_ ” she whispered, there was a crackle

“Astra?” I asked “Astra?” I tore off the earpiece and threw it away, watching as it bounced off Kara’s pod…Kara’s pod which had just had its engines fired up for the first time in over twelve years.

It couldn’t be that simple

Could it?  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

I had said my goodbyes, to Kara, to Alex, to J’onn. There was nothing more for me to do. I flew to the central point of the prison, ensured I had a good grip, and then _pushed_.

The pain of was incredible but I continued, ignoring the agonizing burning that permiated my body, worse than the liquid kryptonite General Lane injected me with, as I pushed, as I _lifted_ Fort Rozz higher and higher, up past the cloud barrier, far beyond the atmosphere, into the cold void of space. And as Fort Rozz silently floated away, as exhaustion and lack of air crept over me, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years

Peace…  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_I came back to awareness on bench overlooking a beach. Sitting up and looking around I saw that I was at Eliza’s house in Midvale_

_“Nice view, isn’t it?” I startled and turned around at the voice behind me, staring in shock at the person standing in front of me_

_“Jeremiah Danvers” I breathed, he nodded_

_“Nice to finally meet you, Astra,” he said, gesturing for me to sit back down “and before you ask, no, you’re not dead. Not yet anyway, you keep pulling stunts like the one you just pulled and you’ll end up in Rao’s Light a lot sooner”_

_“Where are we?” I finally asked, Jeremiah shrugged_

_“This is kind of a…middle ground, a place between the world of the living and…beyond”_

_“Purgatory” I identified, Jeremiah chuckled_

_“Only if you’re Christian, and I don’t think I have to remind you that Alex is Jewish”_

_“So, if I’m not dead, than what am I doing here?” I asked, he shrugged_

_“Would you believe me if I said that there’s someone who wants to talk to you?” he asked, he sighed “and, no, it’s not Alura, you’re sister isn’t here”_

_“Oh,” I said softly “who here would want to talk to me?” I wondered_

_“Well, your husband for one,” Jeremiah nodded towards the cliff edge, where I could see a figure standing looking over the water. I turned back to Jeremiah, confused “it’s what some human’s call ‘unresolved business’, he needs to make amends with you before he can move on, you both do,” he explained “by the way,” he said as he stood up to leave “the jacket looks good on you” I looked down, seeing that I was still wearing his ‘lucky jacket’, he smiled at me as he turned to the house. Turning back I saw that Non hadn’t moved from his spot by the edge, seeing no point in delaying it any longer, I stood up and walked over to him_

_“Non?” I asked, he turned and gave me a small nod in acknowledgement_

_“Lovely is it not?” he asked, nodding out to the water_

_“It is,” I agreed “I am sorry, Non” I apologized, he shook his head_

_“You were protecting the woman you love,” he dismissed “there is no shame in that, Astra, I hold no ill will towards you for that”_

_“Still…” I began, he turned to face me fully, gently reaching out and affectionately tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear_

_“Your passion is why I fell in love with you,” he explained “your fire, your drive to do what is right, no matter the consequences”_

_“I killed you” I exclaimed softly, he nodded_

_“And you are forgiven,” he told me, he leaned in and placed and gentle and chaste kiss against my cheek “now, go,” he instructed “go to her” he nodded behind me, I turned to see Alex waiting for me on the porch, turning to look back at Non I found that he had vanished…_  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I blinked as I slowly came back to awareness, the dull _ache_ throbbing throughout my body told me that I was most defiantly _alive_. Turning my head to my left I saw Alex standing next to me. Groaning, I managed to weakly sit up, realizing that I was lying on one of the sunbeds back at the DEO

“What happened?” I asked

“You saved the world,” Alex whispered “and then I saved you with Kara’s pod,” she chuckled “you’re not the only badass in this family, General,” she teased, I smiled weakly as she opened her hand and held out my spy beacon “I wanted to give this back to you” she said as she slipped it into my palm. For a moment I just stared at her, hardly believing that it had worked, that I had actually succeeded

“I think Alura would have been very impressed with your piloting skills” I finally said, she laughed, even as tears formed in eyes as she wrapped her arms around me

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” she hissed “OK? We’re not just girlfriends or friends with benefits, we are a _family_ , Astra”

“I know,” I whispered “and I’m sorry if I frightened you” I said as she pulled back

“There’s someone who wants to see you” she said, she moved back to the door and gestured for someone to come in. I smiled as I saw Kara quietly, almost shyly, walk inside

“Hi,” she said softly as she came up to the sunbed “how are you feeling?” she asked

“Tired,” I answered honestly “I… _ache_ everywhere” I explained

“I’m not surprised,” Alex commented “that was the dead lift of the century”

“Then perhaps one of you should call the Guinness Book of World Records” I teased, they both laughed, each pulling me into a firm, but gentle hug

“Come on,” Kara said as she pulled away “there are a lot of people out there who want to say thank you”

“Somehow I doubt that” I muttered as I allowed them to help me to my feet, steadying me as I stumbled

“Don’t be to sure about that” Alex warned…  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As we walked into Command I heard something I haven’t heard in a long time

Cheers and thunderous applause

For me

I had to smile as Lucy came over and pulled me into a hug, followed quickly by J’onn, surprisingly

“Ten-HUT!” we turned as General Lane walked in

“At ease,” he ordered as he came up to us “I’ve spoken with the President,” he began “she’s indebted to you, Supergirl, as am I. She’s also aware of the remarkable courage that you showed today, J’onn J’onzz,” he continued as he turned to J’onn “she’s granted you a full pardon and reinstated you as Director of the DEO” he held out his hand to J’onn who warmly took it

“Thank you, General,” he said as he glanced over at Lucy “in my absence, Major Lane has preformed her duties as Director of the DEO admirably and with integrity,” he smiled “I’d say that entitles her to a job here, if she’s willing, that is” Lucy all but glowed with pride

“I’d be honored, sir” she replied, J’onn nodded

“Then, welcome to the DEO…Deputy Director Lane” he said as they shook hands

“Well, isn’t that nice” I scowled as I heard Maxwell Lord’s voice

“Mr. Lord,” General Lane drawled, clearly upset at Lord interrupting his daughter’s moment of glory “the President also has a message for you” he explained

“Really?” Lord asked, acting if the President spoke to him every day “so, what’d the ol’ gal say?” Lane smiled, almost predatorily at Lord

“You’re under arrest” he said simply

“What?!” Lord demanded as two soldiers swiftly restrained him “on what charges?”

“We’ll _start_ with ‘kidnapping’ and ‘illegal human experimentation’ and work our way down to ‘illegal surveillance of a federal employee’ and ‘tax fraud’,” Lane explained “men!” as the soldiers began to lead Lord away I watched as his composure suddenly cracked as he no doubt realized that no amount of money or supposed charm would help him now

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!!!” he suddenly roared, struggling against his captors with an almost-animalistic frenzy “I’M MAXWELL LORD!!! WITHOUT ME YOU’D ALL BE DEAD!!”

“Get him out here!!” Lane ordered as two more soldiers grabbing Lord’s legs and carried him out of room like a sacrificial victim

“Wow,” Kara muttered, clearly stunned “how did you find any evidence to charge him with anyway?” she asked, Lane smirked and nodded towards Lucy

“I…just _might_ have e-mailed the DEO’s dossier on Lord to both the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense” she said in a tone of false innocence

“You ‘might have’, huh?” Alex asked, Lucy grinned

“Wait,” Kara said “as much as I’m enjoying that fact that Maxwell Lord is finally getting what he deserves, what about Astra?” she asked, General Lane smiled as he turned to me 

“General Astra In-ze,” he began “the President is aware that at one time you were the highest threat to national security this nation has ever faced. But, she is also aware of the remarkable feat that you just performed today. By carrying Fort Rozz into space, you may have very well saved millions, if not billions, of lives. Therefore, not only is she dismissing any and all charges against you, past and present, and is reinstating you as a DEO agent, she is also awarding you this…” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, opening it to reveal a medal, a white star on a red and gold background with a blue ribbon

“Is that…?” Lucy asked, clearly amazed, Lane nodded as he returned his attention to me

“This is the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Lane explained “awarded to those who have made _‘an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural, or other significant public or private endeavors’_ , the President would like you, Astra In-ze, to have this with her personal thanks for your heroic actions today”

“Please tell her thank you” I replied, feeling somewhat overwhelmed as I allowed Lane to slip the medal around my neck. This was nothing like what I had expected

“Looks good on you” Alex said, her eyes bright, as Lane stepped back

“The President has also asked me to inform you, that after careful consideration, she is shutting down Project Cadmus,” he announced “all information and funding are hereby transferred to the DEO, where she hopes that you will put it to better use”

“Yes!” Kara exclaimed “I mean--!” we all just smiled and shook our heads

“When’s the other shoe going to drop?” Alex muttered as Lucy elbowed her sharply

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Danvers” she hissed

“There is one more thing,” Lane added suddenly “men!” his soldiers turned, awaiting orders, as Lane turned to face me “detail! Ten-HUT!” I watched, amazed, as General Samuel Lane, a man who had once tortured me, now saluted me. I returned the salute with Krypton’s version, a clenched fist held over the heart and a short bow

“Thank you, General,” I said as I glanced around the room, they were waiting for me to say something, something poignant and meaningful. I hated giving speeches “thank you all,” I proclaimed “we nearly lost everything we cared for today, human and alien alike, and that was because we didn’t trust each other, because we kept secrets from each other. Secrets help no one, they only hinder our efforts to protect those we love. We must be truthful with each other from now. For, although we have defeated Faora and Indigo, there are still threats to us all, threats from within, and from the stars beyond our world”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Presidential Medal of Freedom can be award to non-U.S. citizens (i.e. Astra)


	10. ...and New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One chapter is over, a new one is about to begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here we are folks, the end of Part Eight of What we are, I want to thank everyone who commented or left kudos and I hope you all enjoy this (including the twists) and look forward to Part Nine...ONWARDS!!!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Kara**

I was on my lunch break when my computer chirped

CLARK: How are you doing?

I quickly put down my burger and wrote back

> OMG! Clark! Are you all right?

What I actually wanted to ask was why he disappeared on us after waking up in the desert, he didn’t even bother to ask if Astra was all right after _lifting Fort Rozz into space_ , he just staggered off back to Metropolis while the paramedics gave her oxygen

> CLARK: Oof! Lois tells me this is what a hangover feels like!

> KARA: Sounds about right, did you hear? Aunt Astra got a medal!

> CLARK: I heard, that’s great! Tell her congratulations from me?

> KARA: I will!

I was about to ask him why he just left when a box suddenly dropped onto my desk. I blinked and looked up to see Ms. Grant standing there

“Wha, what is this?” I asked

“Banker’s box,” she explained “usually used by former employees to hold their merger possessions as they are escorted to the elevator. Or by force if necessary” I watched as she started to put everything on my desk, even my burger, into the box

“Ms. Grant, if, if I’ve done something…” she held up a hand

“Shh! Come with me” she ordered as she picked up the box and carried it to the elevators “today, Ker-iah!” she called out when I just stood there. I followed her into the elevator where we went up one floor

“Uh, Ms. Grant, where exactly are we going?” I asked as she marched down the hall

“To your new office” she explained

“My what now?” she opened a door which led into a nice—empty—office “what is this?” I asked as she dropped the box onto the large white desk in the middle of the windowless room

“This, as I said, is your new office,” she explained “and before you ask, no, this does not have to do with my knowing that you’re Supergirl,” she sighed “Kara,” she began, actually using my name “for the past two years, you’ve been my faithful assistant, you’ve got my lunch orders correct and on time, you booked my appointments, again on time. You’ve done all of this and still managed to go out there everyday and save the city, all without a single—well almost—a single complaint, and…I have to let you go”

“Go?” I asked “but you just said that this was my new office”

“I did, I meant ‘go’ as in you can do much more than just be my assistant for the rest of your life, so,” she opened the box and unpacked my burger, wrinkling her nose at the grease “anyway,” she continued “I’ll give you two days to chose another job here at CatCo, whatever you want”

“I…don’t know what to say”

“Well, usually, here on Earth anyway, we say ‘thank you’”

“Thank you?” I squeaked, was I in the Twilight Zone or something? Did I like fall into a parallel universe like on Star Trek without knowing it? First Maxwell Lord gets arrested, then Aunt Astra gets a medal by the President, and Ms. Grant is giving me a promotion?

“Good,” Ms. Grant nodded “during those two days, I also expect you to find me another assistant, someone who is hopefully as competent as you,” she turned to leave “behave, and there’s a window in your future” she called out as the door shut…  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Astra**

“OK,” Alex said as she set down a plate on Kara’s dinning table “that’s one…two…three…hey, we’ve got an extra plate”

“Oh, that’s for your mother” I explained as Winn unloaded the bag of Chinese takeout

“Why is your Mom coming?” Winn asked “not that I’m complaining”

“Because she and J’onn are dating” I explained, Winn yelped as he accidently stabbed himself in the hand with the fork

“That should teach you to eavesdrop” Lucy told him, even as she examined his hand

“Oh, like you weren’t?” he teased

“Yeah, you still haven’t explained to me about that one” Alex said, I shrugged

“I only found out myself” I explained as the door opened and Kara and James walked in

“Hey!” Alex waved “hope you don’t mind we let ourselves in” Kara shook her head

“No, its fine,” she said “uh, Ms. Grant just promoted me today” she announced

“That’s great!” Winn exclaimed “so what are you now? Reporter?”

“I don’t know yet, she’s giving me a few days to think it over” she explained

“Well, it appears we have another reason to celebrate” I said as J’onn and Eliza landed on the fire escape, J’onn shifting back to human form as they climbed inside. He nodded at Alex

“Alex,” he frowned at me “I take it Astra’s already told you about…us?” Alex nodded

“Just don’t expect me to start calling you ‘dad’, OK?” she dismissed good-naturedly

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Agent Danvers,” he smirked as he looked up at me “so, how is the newest recipient of the Medal of Freedom feeling?” Winn let out another yelp

“OK, you know what,” Lucy took the utensils from him “how ‘bout I serve?”

“Yeah, sure,” Winn muttered distractedly “so, wait, Astra got a medal?”

“She didn’t just get ‘a medal’,” Lucy explained “she just got the Medal of Freedom, that’s the highest civilian award in the country, awarded by the President” Winn stared at me

“So, you…” he began, I nodded

“Will the personal thanks of the President herself” I explained

“Awesome!” he held a hand and I happily gave him a high-five. I frowned as I saw Kara lead James into the another room, tilting my head I focused my hearing

“ _OK, so, look,_ ” Kara began “ _earlier today, I said some things, that…I probably shouldn’t have said_ ”

“ _Kara,_ ” James sighed “ _Alex already told me about almost happened today_ ”

“ _Oh,_ ” I heard her take a breath “ _so…what does this mean for, you know…us?_ ” she asked, I then heard a squeak, x-raying the wall I saw James lean in and place a gentle kiss on her lips. Dialing down my senses, I turned to find Alex looking at me questioningly, she frowned at the wall, I merely nodded in silent answer to her unspoken question, she smiled and nodded back

“Hey, Kara!” she called out as she grabbed the champagne bottle “c’mon, you got to show Astra the champagne trick”

“The ‘champagne trick’?” I asked as Kara and James came out, hand in hand

“I’ll show you,” Kara grinned as she took the bottle from Alex and gently squeezed it, the cork quickly popping out “ta-da!” she exclaimed as the bottle bubbled over, the rest of us cheered and applauded as she filled our glasses

“Hey,” Alex gently nudged me as she set down her drink “you OK?” I frowned

“I have something to ask you” I said

“Oh,” she glanced back at the others “do you want to, you know, go somewhere private?” I shook my head

“No, here is fine,” I took a breath, finding myself at a loss for words “this is difficult to say, we did it differently on Krypton,” I began “when I first came here, to this world, I was almost mad—no, that's not true, I _was_ mad—with grief, my rage at my sister and the horrors of Fort Rozz had driven me to try and control this planet in order to save it. And then I met you, Alex, and you reminded me that there are better things to strive for, happier things, and I can never thank you enough for that. I have no political ties or alliances to offer you, I no longer even have a House of my own, but you have become my family all the same, therefore, it is with the utmost and heartfelt respect and honor that I ask if you…if you would become my wife?”

Silence reigned. For a long agonizing moment, no one, not even Alex, spoke

“Oh my god,” Kara broke the silence suddenly “Alex! Say something!” she hissed

“What?” Alex asked as she continued to stare at me with wide eyes

“Geez, Alex she just asked you to marry her!” Lucy exclaimed “say ‘yes’, damn it!”

“You…,” Alex began “you want to marry…me?” I nodded “me? You want to marry _me_ Alex Danvers?”

“You see anyone else here named ‘Alex’?” Lucy demanded

“Yes” Alex croaked out

“Yes ‘what’, Danvers?” Lucy demanded

“Yes, I’ll marry you” she said, I suddenly bust out laughing, truly laughing with a kind of joy that I haven’t felt in years, as I swept her up into an embrace “oh,” I pulled back as she frowned “don’t we need a ring or something?”

“Here,” Eliza took off her ring and held it out to me “this was the ring your father gave me when he proposed,” she explained “it seems only fitting that you should have it, Alex”

“Eliza, I can’t take this” I said, she shook her head and placed into my palm

“Yes, you can,” she insisted “I know you never met him, but I can tell you right now, that Jeremiah would be honored to have you as a daughter-in-law”

“Thank you,” I whispered as I held up the ring, frowning as I realized that I wasn’t exactly clear on the details “uh, how do I…?” Alex smiled

“Here,” she took the ring and slipped it onto her finger “hence why it’s called the ‘ring finger’” she explained as the ring glinted in the light

“OK, I propose a toast,” Kara exclaimed, holding up her glass in a toast

“Yeah, to these sappy two” Lucy exclaimed, making the rest of us laugh

“No, not just them,” Kara laughed, she held up her glass “to family,” she proclaimed “love bonds us all”

“To family!” the rest of us chorused, clinking our glasses together and each taking a drink

“OK, let’s eat!” Lucy proclaimed, but before any of us could sit down the lights began to flicker, a violent tremor rippling through the apartment

“Whoa! OK, I thought the earth wasn’t supposed to shake until the honeymoon” Winn exclaimed

“That wasn’t an earthquake” Alex said as a flash of light lit up the night sky

“What is that?” Lucy wondered as we all rushed to the window, watching as a flaming object tore through the sky

“Nothing good,” Alex muttered, she glanced back over at me “guess that’s your cue” I chuckled

“I guess so” I replied as J’onn shifted into his true form and Kara changed into her costume…  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“ ** _We need to stop this thing before it huts someone_** ” J’onn exclaimed as the three of us gave chase to the mysterious object as it tore though the sky, barreling down towards the earth

“Yeah, tell us something we don’t know,” Kara gasped out as she and I struggled to grab hold of the object, which was clearly not natural in origin “almost…got it!” we both jerked are hands away as we connected with some type of energy barrier

“It’s heading for the port” I called out as the object smashed into an abandoned building, demolishing it completely, before coming to a stop. As we landed I could see that it was a transport pod

“It’s Kryptonian!” Kara exclaimed

“ ** _Supergirl, be careful!_** ” J’onn warned as he landed behind us

“You don’t know what’s inside!” I called out as she tore open the pod, only to stumble back in clear shock “what is it?” I demanded as I rushed to her side, she merely nodded shakily to the pod. Turning, I felt my blood go cold, my heart stuttered to a stop as shock set in “it…can’t be” I whispered

For sitting unconscious inside the pod, was my sister…

**END**


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